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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 9, 2011

Al Golden

MIKE FINN: We now welcome Miami head coach Al Golden. We'll ask for a brief opening statement and then go to questions.
COACH GOLDEN: Clearly a great opportunity to play Florida State up in Tallahassee this week. There's no question there's a palpable difference just in everything surrounding this game. It's certainly living up to everything we thought it would be coming here to Miami and we're excited about the challenge, the environment. Clearly I know our guys are excited.
We've had a good week of practice. We have to finish this week off here tomorrow with a good practice and travel up to Tallahassee on Friday.
With that I'll open it up to any questions you might have.

Q. What is it like for you to be able to coach in one of the top five college rivalries each year?
COACH GOLDEN: It's unbelievable. Again, I have so much respect and appreciation for both programs, what this game has meant over the years, the people that have played in it, that have established this tradition.
For me it probably struck home for me, I guess it must have been Saturday night driving home from Sun Life, talking to my father. He used to watch this game all the time. Just enjoy it, enjoy the journey, do what you always do, don't do anything different than you always do. Enjoy and relish in it because it truly is a special event. I think that's probably what brought it full circle for me, how special this is.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about E.J. Manuel, how he compares to your own quarterback?
COACH GOLDEN: E.J. is doing a tremendous job right now. E.J. is a big, physical kid. He's probably a lot more in line with the young man from Virginia Tech in terms of the physical stature and ability to run with the ball. The thing I'm impressed E.J. is he's completing 67% of his passes right now. To do that your first year starting, obviously following Ponders, is a credit to the staff there at Florida State and E.J. himself.
E.J. is doing a great job in the pocket. They move the pocket with him. He's making excellent throws down the field. Clearly he's a threat, a big physical threat to run the football. We're going to have to do a good job tackling him.

Q. Coach, obviously when you got there you knew and by watching film found out that Sean Spence was a really good player. After watching him for nine games, what are your impressions of him?
COACH GOLDEN: As I said, I think there's good seasons, there are great seasons, then there's special seasons. I think what he's doing right now is special. When you think that guys who have been All-American or have won the Butkus before him, Dan Morgan, Vilma, all those guys, had only 44 and 30 tackles for loss in their career. This young man is sitting here with four games left and he's got 45 tackles for loss. The way he prepares, the leadership he's provided, the type of work ethic that he is instilling in our team, our young people, he is clearly an incredible asset to our program and is having a wonderful year.

Q. What are his best attributes?
COACH GOLDEN: Well, I'll tell you, number one, he's instinctive. He's got tremendous speed and change of direction. Then he's tough. He's really tough. He can take on a block or he can knock a ball carrier back in addition. He really has a complete package. He can make plays in space, make plays sideline to sideline.
But I think the thing that he doesn't get enough credit for is his football intelligence, how hard he prepares, how well he executes the design of the defense. He brings the design of the defense to life. That's really the definition of a special player.

Q. I wanted to get your reaction on Joe Paterno's stepping down and the allegations against Jerry Sandusky.
COACH GOLDEN: As I've been saying all week, just disheartening, sad. Clearly thoughts and prayers go out for the young people, the victims in this case. Certainly equally my prayers go out to coach, too. It's tough.
Again, I don't know much about it. Certainly you're more informed than me. We're in the middle of Florida State week. Just disheartened by the whole thing and saddened by it, keeping everybody in my thoughts and prayers from a distance.

Q. I know you have reaffirmed repeatedly your commitment to Miami. There's no stopping the discussion about connecting your name with that eventual opening there. How much of a distraction has it become yet, if at all, to you in terms of recruiting? How much do you expect you're going to have to counter that down the road here?
COACH GOLDEN: We're going to counter it by playing well and preparing well. We've gotten two commitments in the last 48 hours. I think there's going to be another one here today or tomorrow.
We're excited about what we're building here. I can't worry about what other people are saying. I think you know me to know well enough that I don't worry about the media. Just moving the team and our players forward. Really trying to enjoy this. Trying to enjoy the fact we're in the middle of Miami-Florida State week, to be honest with you.

Q. Over your career, watching the Florida State-Miami series, were you pretty much like everyone else, particularly with the field goal misses being such a big part of this rivalry?
COACH GOLDEN: My perspective from afar as opposed to being in the middle of it now, is that what you're asking?

Q. Yes.
COACH GOLDEN: I think the biggest thing as a former player and then as a coach, somebody that's been involved in football the whole time that I've been watching this game, Florida State-Miami, I think the one thing that jumped out, it was like, Are you serious? Can they possibly have this many players in a game from a talent level? Just the competitive nature of both teams, the pride and tradition associated with it, the rivalry.
I think that's the one thing that jumps out, is just the depth and breadth of talent that has participated in this game and what this game has meant, not just to both universities and alumni, but what it's meant to Florida football and what it's meant to the college football landscape.
It's been an incredible series, an incredible rivalry. I'm really grateful to be a part of it now.

Q. You mentioned that you'd been addressing the Penn State situation all week. What about the announcement this morning that Coach Paterno is retiring after the season, how did that hit you?
COACH GOLDEN: Again, when you say it, it's hitting me. We just got out of meetings. We had practice. I'm going on conference calls and people are asking me about Coach Paterno. I don't know much about the situation. I have no idea in terms of reading anything. I'm not sitting here watching ESPN. We're just getting ready for Florida State.
Again, I think, as I said, I feel for the victims in this case. Certainly keeping coach in our thoughts and prayers, as well.

Q. When you look at Florida State on tape, how they've been playing of late, what jumps out at you as the big concern this week?
COACH GOLDEN: There's a lot of concerns. Number one, the quarterback is playing really well on offense. He's running the ball effectively in addition to Freeman and Thomas and Pryor in the backfield. That's the first thing that jumps out at you.
The other thing that jumps out on offense is how many players are touching the football and have catches, whether it's Reed, Greene, Rodney Smith, O'Leary now. On offense they're doing a great job on third down. They're 36 points a game. They're 47% on third down. A lot of good things on offense that jump out at you.
On defense I would just say that they're the most talented defense that we face this year. 30 sacks. They're not giving up rushing yards. I think they're less than 80 scoring defense. 17, 16 a game on that side of the ball. Playing a lot of different people.
Physical, fast, active on defense. Really impressed with their kicking game. Hopkins, the place kicker, is doing a great job. I think he's first in the conference. Then Powell is doing a great job on punting. His net is the highest I've seen all year at 42. Doing an excellent job all three phases.
This will be our greatest test, irrespective of the rivalry or the series. It's something that we have to get ready for.
MIKE FINN: Coach, thanks for being with us. We'll talk to you next Wednesday.
COACH GOLDEN: Appreciate it. Thanks.
MIKE FINN: This concludes today's ACC football coaches teleconference.

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